Button-grinding machine.



No. 659,l93.

(No Model.)

N. BARR-Y, In. BUTTON GRINDING MACHINE (Application fi1e d time 4, 1900.)

Patented Oct. 2, [900.

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

I u a u u )Xhtwmao TNE NORRIS PEYERS no. Puoraumm. WASNINOTON, o. c,

No. 659,!93. Patented Oct. 2, I900. N. BARRY, m.

BUTTON GRINDING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 4, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets8heet 2.

Wan/woes a top plan view thereof.

' NICHOLAS BARRY, JR.,

PATENT Fries.

0F MUSCATINE, IOWA.

BUTTON-GRINDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,193, dated October 2, 1900.

Application filed June 4:, 1900. Serial No. 19,042- (No model.)

lb aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS BARRY, Jr., of Muscatine, in the county of Muscatine and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Butron-GrindingMachines; and I hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying.

drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in machines for grinding pearl and bone and other button-blanks to uniform thicknesses. In ordinary processes of making pearl or bone buttons the blanks are first out from suitable material by tubular saws and of course vary very considerably in thickness. These blanks are then generally assorted into diiferent grades according to thickness and quality, and the next operation is to reduce the blanks in each grade to uniform thickness by a grinding process. The object of grinding the blanks is to cut away all surplus material, such as the outside or back of shells and rough parts, thereby reducing the blanks to uniform thickness and preparing them for the further operations of trimming and drilling.

Various machines have been devised and used for accomplishing this end; but so'far as advised they'have been unsatisfactory in operation and liable to clog and choke. The present invention is the outcome of a series of experiments with this class of machines, and the result is a machine which will do the work perfectly, with great rapidity, and without choking andelogging.

The essentials of the invention are set forth in the claims, and the accompanying drawings illustrate a practical machine embodying the same.

Referring thereto, Figure 1 is a side view of the machine,'partly broken away. Fig. 2 is Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation, and Fig. 4 is a detail front end elevation.

adesignates the main frame of the machine,

upon the top of which is mounted a longitudinally-adjustable carrier-casting c, which is guided in ways I) on the frame and can be adjusted by means of aset-screw d, as indicated in the drawings. The carrier 0 is provided with journal-bearings e for a shaft f, on the inner end of which is fixed a conical grinding or abrading wheel g, and on this shaft, be-

tween the bearings e, is a pulley h, by which the grinding-wheel can be driven at a high speed by means of a suitable belting from any proper source of power. Below and at right angles to the axis of the grinding-wheel g is a feed-wheel i, the periphery of which rotates close to the periphery of the grindingwheel g and is adapted to carry blanks to and past the latter. The-wheel *5 is driven by means of a bevel-gear j, attached thereto, meshing with a bevel-pinion 70 on a shaft Z, journaled in the frame below and parallel with the shaft 6, shaft Z havinga gear on on its rear end meshing with a pinion n on a stub-shaft 0, on which is a belt-pulley p, driven by belt g from a pulley r on shaft f, the gearing being such that the feed-wheeliwill rotate much more slowly than the grinding-wheel 9.

Attached to the frame a, close to the periphery of the wheel a}, and extending under the cone g is a guard s, which is placed at that side of the pulleyi toward which the cone g rotates and prevents the button-blanks being pushed off the periphery of the wheel t' by the grinding-wheel. At the side of wheel '6, beside guard s, is a feed-tray u, in which the rough blanks may be placed and from which they may be readily fed by hand toward the periphery of feedwheel i. The blanks after passing the grinding-wheel are directed into a chute t, by which they may be discharged into any suitable receptacle.

The operation is as follows: A quantity of blanks is placed in the tray u and fed onto the periphery of wheel 'L' by hand. This wheel rotates and carries the blanks forward under the grinding-wheel g, guard 5 serving as a guide and preventing the blanks being carried ed the wheelt' by the abrasive action of the grinding-wheel, which rotates toward said guard. The blanks therefore travel with the wheel 1' under the wheel g, which rotates at a very high speed, while the blankstravel very slowly. The grinding-wheel is adjusted sired thickness. After grinding the blanks are directed into the chute 25 and discharged into a suitable receptacle. The only adjustment necessary to adapt the machine for grinding various thicknesses of blanks is made by moving the carrier 0 longitudinally on the frame, so as to adjust the grindingwheel 9 toward the feed-wheel 2', thereby increasing or decreasing the space between the wheels g and t'. The machine is capable of performing accuratelya large amount of work with unskilled labor and Without injury to the material on which it is employed, the blanks being usually of a very brittle nature.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I therefore claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. In a machine for grinding button-blanks to uniform thickness, the combination of the conical grinding-wheel rotating at high speed, with a feed-wheel adapted to carry the button-blanks on its periphery to and past the grinding-wheel, said feed-wheel rotating at slow speed beside and at right angles to the grinding-wheel, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the feed-wheel,a conical grinding-wheel rotating at high speed at right angles thereto, and a guard-plate to prevent the lateral displacement of the blanks on the feed-wheel during the grinding operation, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the feed\vheel,a conical abrading-wheel rotating at high speed at right angles to the feed-wheel, and a guardplate to prevent the lateral displacement of the blanks on the feed-wheel during the grinding operation; with means for adjusting the relative distances between the peripheries of the abrading and feed wheels, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of the main frame, the longitudinallyadjustable carrier thereon, and the rotary abrading-wheel mounted on said carrier with its shaft parallel with the length of said carrier; with the feed-wheel journaled in the frame and rotating at right angles to the abrading wheel adapted to carry buttons on its periphery to and past the abrading wheel, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the main frame, the longitudinally-adj ustable carrier thereon, the shaft journaled in said carrier and the abrading-wheel carried by said shaft; with the feed-wheel journaled in the frame and rotating at right angles to the carrier, and the guard beside the feed-wheel to prevent displacement of the blanks thereon during the grinding operation, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a button-grinding machine, the combination of the main frame, the adjustable conical grinding-wheel, the feed-wheel below and at right angles to the grinding-wheel and means for driving said wheels; with the guard-plate beside the feed-wheel to prevent lateral displacement of the button-blanks during the grinding operation, substantially as described.

7. In a button-grinding machine, the combination of the main frame, the adjustable carrier thereon, the shaft journaled in said carrier carrying a cone shaped grinding- Wheel, the feed-wheel below and at right angles to the grinding-wheel and gearing for driving said feed-wheel from the grinding- Wheel shaft; with the guard-plate beside the feed-Wheel to prevent lateral displacement of the button-blanks during the grinding operation, the feed-tray, and the discharge-chute, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NICHOLAS BARRY, JR. In presence of M. W. STAPLETON, H. W. LEWIs. 

